Creatures of the back yard.

Turkeys are so cool. They waddle around making weird sounds. Not afraid of humans, you can just walk up to them and pick them up. My wife bought four of them a few months ago and apparently we have two toms. They puff up in the morning when I let them out. I guess it's a show for the ladies.

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Guineafowl are even more fun to watch. This male is the king and chases and whips all the other birds, including the turkeys. The duck he is chasing has been trying to mount the male guineafowl's girlfriend so he is in for a whipping.

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These baby ducks hatched a couple of weeks ago.

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This little rooster thinks he is the king.

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I like to take images of the sunrise. Sometimes they come out, sometimes not.

Ricky, I always love to see what's going on in your neck of the woods. Never would I have guessed that one could pick up a turkey easily! They're definitely struttin' their stuff! And the nerve of that duck!

I used to think the guineafowl was just a bully until I saw what the duck was doing with the guinea's lady. The rooster that was taken by a coyote was guilty of the same crime so the guinea would thrash him too.

Yes, we slaughtered five ducks and about seven chickens about a week ago. Never done that before and it was very unpleasant. My friend came over and showed me how and I dread having to do it again, but I have to tell you it was very good eating fresh duck and chicken that night.

The drought here is about as bad as I can remember. All our yard grass is dying and there is really nothing to do about it but fret. You know it's bad when one hundred year old pecan trees are dying.

Oh, Ricky, I am so sorry about those Pecan trees! That's terrible. The farmers and the animals, all animals, must really be suffering.

I've never killed a chicken (or anything else except probably an opossum once by accident with my car), but I have witnessed it - once. Knowing what one is doing and having the right "tools" is imperative. I have plucked chickens...and I am not a vegetarian, though I often feel that I could be...if I didn't count fish.

My friend Terry was the man that showed me how and what to do. He said it's a grim business and he was right. Grim, but something that is a very handy thing to learn in case you need that skill or whatever you might want to call it. He was telling me when he was in the military, they would drop them in the wilderness and leave them. They would give them food for one day, but leave them for a week.

It was tough for me. I watched the little buggers from the time they came out of the egg and fed them every day, watched out for predators, made sure they could roam about the yard freely every day. It seemed wrong that they were born and lived for such a short while only to be taken away for a small portion of meat. Terry told me it does not get easier really. I was hoping it would get easier and I know I am going to be expected to do it again in a month or so and I'm not looking forward to it. I guess I will get used to the idea.

My friend Terry was the man that showed me how and what to do. He said it's a grim business and he was right. Grim, but something that is a very handy thing to learn in case you need that skill or whatever you might want to call it. He was telling me when he was in the military, they would drop them in the wilderness and leave them. They would give them food for one day, but leave them for a week.

It was tough for me. I watched the little buggers from the time they came out of the egg and fed them every day, watched out for predators, made sure they could roam about the yard freely every day. It seemed wrong that they were born and lived for such a short while only to be taken away for a small portion of meat. Terry told me it does not get easier really. I was hoping it would get easier and I know I am going to be expected to do it again in a month or so and I'm not looking forward to it. I guess I will get used to the idea.

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I think the important part is to be confident doing it, but never enjoy it.

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